NBA- Who Is It For You?

The NBA's on lockout mode. Even broadcaster Bryant Gumbel's gotten in on the act and pretty much labeled David Stern as a "taskmaster". Good lord.

While the mud flies, allow me to posit this question- who is the best active player in the NBA, for your money?

ESPN recently released a list wherein Miami's Lebron James topped the charts as the NBA's most outstanding cager. For all intents and purposes, I would have to concur with Mark Stein and co.'s assessment.

For my 2 pesos, however, the best player in the NBA, in terms of being a leader, a winner, an all around athlete, and cerebral to the point of brilliant madness, is the Lakers' Kobe Bryant.

Bryant is a 5 time NBA champion, and as he has aged, he has grown wiser. He may not be the athletic freak King James is, nor is he as young, or as physically imposing, but lord knows that the Black Mamba is still one of (if not, the) savviest Closer in the game. Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and even Carmelo Anthony come close, but Bryant has proven himself in more pressure cooker situations, and here's the kicker- he had to play alongside Shaq's fat ego for several years, while still managing to be brilliant. It isn't that Kobe doesn't have an ego, nor is it because Kobe isn't a bad guy, even. Kobe knows who he is. He's been the "villain" for most of his career, and he's comfortable assuming that role. He's making the most of his black cape and Tommy Gun.

So who is number one in your book? Comparatives between basketball pundits always make for engaging coffeetable talk- especially during the down days of the lockout.

MC

NBA- Rodman's Advice- "Bow Down"

The first two weeks of the NBA regular season have been cancelled. What then is Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman's advice to today's cagers, in today's lockout environment?

"Bow down to the owners."

I find this rather surprising considering that Rodman's been a rebel all his life. The seven time rebounding champ's got a point, though.

This lockout will not end until middle ground is found. I agree with the former Bull's assertion about the players needing to "give" a little bit. I mean, some cagers are all about the money. What about the fans? The integrity of the game?

I haven't agreed with much of what Dennis Rodman's said in his career- over what he's done as a player on the court. This time though, I say the owners and the players ought to look at themselves in the mirror, and say, "Quo Vadis?"

I don't think anyone knows where all this is going at this point.

MC

Personal Touch- Ballin' With Family 1

Once upon a time, my father studied in the University of the Philippines. During his time in the said school, he played a bit of hoops, and even got a varsity team nod. He did, however, choose to focus on his studies 200% and eschew playing varsity ball. What could have been his fate had he spent more time on the hardwood as opposed to the library?

When I was a kid, I was a bit on the heavy side, and getting in shape was not easy. Even when I did lose all the weight, and learn to hold my own on the court, my dad, over 40 years old then, could still score on me one-on-one, relying on smarts as opposed to athleticism. I am not saying that I can move like a John Wall or a Lebron, but hey, I'd like to think someone 20 years younger than a "retired" baller would possess some measure of athleticism in comparison with his older counterpart.

I've grown to admire my dad for many reasons- his success in the healthcare industry, his work ethic, the discipline with which he lives his life. There is one more thing, however, that I admire about him. In his younger days, HE COULD PLAY.

I remember watching a dad's tourney in our subdivision one summer, when I was in elementary. In a game of 3on3, wherein the first to 15 points won, my father, then around 35, scored 12 out of his team's 15 points. He did so on a variety of drives, jumpers, and yes, even hookshots. During his days in medical school, inter hospital leagues were popular. I once caught my dad during a ballgame somewhere in Sta. Mesa, Metro Manila, one afternoon. I was only grade 2 then, and after 48 minutes, and a game that saw both teams score more than 140 points combined, I saw my dad score a Kobe-esque 32 points, on what seemed like around a 52% shooting clip.

At that point, I didn't care for any Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or Isiah Thomas. To me, dad was a SUPERHERO. He was THE baller.

In his late 30s, my dad suffered a back injury that severely hampered his mobility in terms of competitive sports. The said injury rendered him bedridden and in the hospital for around 2 weeks. That scared the bananas out of me- seeing my hero down and out. I was a young kid then, and for all intents and purposes, I knew that my dad would never play the same kind of game he used to. Nevertheless, I always knew that whatever happened, my dad still could be the best guy on the court. His "working mind" was, and is, amazing. He has always excelled in everything he's set his sights on, and the same kind of drive that once allowed him to play like a pro is what has made him a winner in the game of life.

I myself am getting older now, and most times, my dad and I watch ballgames as opposed to actually playing. I, too, once upon a time, suffered a back injury after an awkward landing post-fadeaway jumper. While that hurt like hell, I oddly found room in me to chuckle. I had gotten shot with the same ailment that had once hit my father. I must have been doing something right, then!

Pound for pound, I feel like my dad's always been a better cager than me, and that if we were both the same age and at our respective athletic plateaus, he'd beat me like Dwyane Wade can posterize a Jason Smith-type, one-on-one.

Somehow, dad's proven to be so much better than me in so many ways. That is something I do not resent. Rather, I look at it as a chance to learn, and in the end, find my place in the sun.

Thanks, dad, for teaching me how to dribble, shoot jumpers and freethrows, work off screens, do layups, pretend to know how to dunk, and do drills.

Thank you, most of all, for teaching me how to live. In life's fast break, you've always managed to throw me perfect passes.

Here's to hoping I can score on transition and "win the game" for us.

Love, Your Son,
MC

World Basketball- Thai Park Hoops

This is the sight I came upon at a local park in Bangkok, Thailand today.

Beside this enclave where some teenagers player Sepak Takraw at 3pm on a Friday, there lay an empty basketball court.

I sat on a nearby park bench on Bensiri Park in Bangkok, a small patch of green adjacent to Emporium Mall and Asok BTS station. As I watched the Sepak Takraw kids go at it, I wondered about whether basketball mattered in a country more preoccupied by Muay Thai and a bit of football.

While surfing the web, I came across the Thailand Tigers of the Asean Basketball league. It turns out that the team's got some imports from other countries, including a couple of Pinoy players and a Pinoy head coach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_Thailand_Slammers

The squad apparently also plays games at the Thailand National Stadium near MBK mall in Bangkok.

Good to know that basketball in Thailand is somehow alive, despite its life force seemingly being measurable in short blips. The Philippines, on the other hand, has league after league after league and team after team after team. On top of that, the Land of the Morning has an archipelago teeming with hoops junkies.

Some say, we should do a Thailand and find a sport better suited to the Pinoy physique (like soccer via outfits like the Azkals, or games like, say, Archery or Dragon Boat Racing). Well, Rome wasn't built in a day, and who knows, 'Pinas may be able to lay claim to its own slice of Rome sooner rather than later.

These days, it would seem that wherever I go, my mind would inevitably scream hoops. I scrambled to find a ball at that park yesterday afternoon, as I wanted to be the first (and maybe only) bloke to say cheers to Naismith's calling card, and perhaps, even be laughed at by some locals. I was curious just to have seen how all that would have gone down.

I probably would have won against anybody I had faced at the park that day, not necessarily on sheer physical ability, but more because of desire. Could it be that I had more desire for basketball than anyone else in the vicinity of the park that Friday? Perhaps, but this brings me to my next point- that sports are not won on desire alone. News flash, Juan, that's the real world scenario.

I had permitted my imagination to run mad while waiting for a relative to text me on where to go for supper. Either Bangkok's humid air had gotten to me, or, maybe I had come across something valid. Sport should unite, and not divide.

They loved Sepak Takraw, I loved ballin'. Fair enough.

And off to Manila I go where my hoops heart belongs.

MC

NBA-Missin' Out

The NBA- it's fantastic.

The NBA, you miss it, I know. I do too.

Last season, we saw a number of "fantastic" things. The emergence of the Oklahoma City Thunder's trio of young stars rose to prominence in the playoffs (Durant, Westbrook, Harden). Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd finally got their rings after years of toiling in deep postseason runs. Lebron James fell short- again, despite lofty expectations. The once mighty Lakers ended their season with more questions (about Pau Gasol's toughness- again, for instance) than answers. Blake Griffin solidified himself as a bona fide star. The Celtics, despite age and injury, still managed a second round playoff appearance. Blake Griffin (second mention now) dunked over a car in Los Angeles. Kevin Love officially morphed into a rebounding demon.

And oh, Kris Humphries married a Kardashian. Amazing, eh?

Seriously, though, it looks as if the 2011-2012 NBA campaign's going to be on the shelf for some time to come. Labor negotiations are stalled, and so long as both sides hold their ground, fans and players have to make other plans for the coming months.

Can you say, "Virtus Bologna"? I can. But all in all, isn't it a simpler and a whole more fun for most to say, "Dallas Mavericks", or "Atlanta Hawks"?

My point exactly.

Once upon a time, Havlicek stole the ball. Now, someone's stolen the ball again, only this time, we can't quite find the culprit.

MC

UAAP Basketball- Four.

The Author with Former Ateneo De Manila University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ


18,817 screaming fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Inclement weather. Superb basketball. Fever pitch excitement.

The Eagles have completed their four peat.

Yesterday was game day, and although I went through quite a bit to get to the gym to see FEU and Ateneo play, was the trip worth all the trouble, or what?

After getting rained on, looking for parking for 40 minutes, braving through the mammoth crowds, etc., etc., etc., my significant other and I finally made it to the Upper Box A section of the Big Dome. The game was tight in the first half, with FEU leading after 20 minutes of action. After an RR Garcia layup with two ticks past 8 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, Ateneo went on a 12-0 blast on a hang time three point play by Tonino Gonzaga. The defending champions never looked back after that.

The Tams were totally shut down in the second half. Their propensity to run screen and rolls was thwarted by effective 3-2 zone D, and on switches, the Eagles' help shadowing aided them in forcing the enigmatic Terence Romeo to a 2-17 shooting night, and former MVP RR Garcia to a woeful 5-13 outing.

Bert Flores' boys also shot a miserable 2-20 from beyond the arc. The said stat typified a ballgame which featured Ateneo's crisp passing, patience in midrange sets, and swarming perimeter defense, propel a school with a rich basketball history to its first four peat, matching feats by La Salle's Franz Pumaren, and UST's Aric Del Rosario, from the 1990s.

"Coach Norman, I have 3 words for you- I love you!"

These were the words uttered by guard Emman Monfort during the thanksgiving mass at the Church of the Gesu at 8pm on gameday. I suppose that for all of the players- especially those going down from the proverbial "hill", playing for Team Ateneo had always been about pride, and passion, and a love for basketball which, all in all, equates to giving one's best in life. Bacon Austria, who many have said to be a bit of a "disappointment" going into the Seniors' division from High School, said that he would miss playing for the Blue and White, and that, no matter what his "haters" said, he still came out on top- with life lessons learned, 4 championships, and relationships with very special people he considered everlasting. Kirk Long had a laundry list of people to thank- from Fr. Nemesio Que, to his "titas" at school, to his classmates, to the supporters of the Blue Eagles.

In true Manny Pangilinan fashion, Chairman MVP took the podium, and in one fell swoop managed to echo the sentiments of many in the Ateneo universe that night.

"I spoke to Fr. Jett Villarin after the game today." the amiable Team Ateneo patron said. "We came up with a new slogan- One Big Five."

To this, Coach Norman Black jokingly replied, "Let's sit and enjoy this title first, my goodness." to the raucous laughter of the crowd at the Church of the Gesu.

Forward Bacon Austria mentioned in his speech that he just wanted to turn back time and "go back and do it all over again" because he had enjoyed his ride with Ateneo so very much. He added that while he was afraid of what the future held, he'd forever cherish his days in Loyola Heights.

As fans, we shall, for years to come, cherish Season 74. We saw some of the finest basketball the UAAP's seen in a long time played in the last few months. We've seen stars in the likes of Alex Nuyles, Ray Parks, and Terence Romeo take shape, and others, like the aforementioned Ateneo grads, and the likes of longtime UE wingman Paul Zamar, La Salle pointman Simon Atkins, and others, ride off into the sunset. Season 75 shall bring with it a new look and feel, with the Mall of Asia opening in 2012, and the now SM-run National University hosting the UAAP festivities. Indeed, the Philippines is NEVER absent of quality hoops which keep followers of all walks of life, utterly enthralled.

Another season in the books, and there lies much hope for the years to come, with a core of Slaughter, Ravena, and Salva running the show.

"All Out, All Heart"- such went UAAP Season 74's slogan. Ateneo lived up to that credo. All season, the Eagles played with a precision akin to the finest surgeon, and with a tenacity akin to one thing they have been for the past 4 years- champions.

And with that, we cap off one of the most memorable campaigns in recent UAAP history.

MC